Assionqb



APPARATUS AND PROCESS OF TREATING MINERAL WOOL Filed Nov. 25, 1.927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INIV'ENTOR. (7m/P1 f5 C. HHM.

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a porating the water-proo -Peienied sept. 22, 193i I'uNi'iED/ STATESv CHARLES c. HALL.- or ALExANnnIA, INDIANA, AssIGNQR.. BY- 'Iglsimi mms..

taime PATENT, oFFicE 'ro BANNER :aocx coaronArroN, or ALExANnnIA, IrIpIANA. AcoaronArIon oir DELAWARE ArPAiiA'rUs AND raociiss or 'rmwrnve tiroor.v

l Application vtiled November SI5,l 1927. "seria'i le. 5,448. v

This invention relates toan apparatus and process of treating mineral wool so as to incorporate a water-proofing binder there? with in such manner as to make. insulating blocks or slabs of such material. Such material`is known in the trade as the product of the 'Banner 'Rock Products Company by is mixed in a special vat with a binder that secures the bers into permanent position. This material is then molded into different shapes and thicknesses, and fis then-dried and P0 trimmed, in which condition it is readg1 for the market. During the drying step a ard uneven crust forms on the surfaces of the molded shapes, which renders necessary the trimming operation consisting of a removal of the crust by suitable planing devices, such as saws.

In producing such-material, which may be termed water-proofed mineral wool., diiciilty has heretofore been had in eliminating the shot and in causing the water-prooing binder to properly adhere to the fibres. Further diiiiculty has been had in mixing the proper weights of wool and water-proofing binder.

The principal object of this invention resides in the process and a paratus for inco'r- En binder in .the wool. This is accomplishedg by first mixing thebinder with a paper or wood pulp so that.

the result is such that the binder will remain in contact with the wooland not separate to any appreciable .amount with the Iwater when drained. The binder is not an emulsion or in solution but comprises a coating on the plup. If it were an emulsion, the excess water drained from the wool would carry the binder away to a large extent and, in drying, the'waterwould bring the binder to the surface. By meansof this invention,

the water'which drains away from the treat.

ed wool when-formed, is practically` clear and the binder remains mixediandm intimate contact 'thruout' 'the-fibres.

Another feature'of the invention 'resides in the means for raising the binder and fibre and straining the xv.wacertherefrom suiieiently so as to permitthe material to ow, but do arraywith ,suchexcessf of water as wouldcause the bresto'be washedaway. .This arrangement gives the material the proper. consistency when discharged into the' forms..

1 The full nature ohe inventionwill be understood -from the accompanying drawings and the -following description and claims:`

Fig. is a pers ective view of the ap aratus with parts -t ereof broken away. ig. 2 is a plan view looking down upon the hoptaken on the line 3-3-of Fig.- 2. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the mixing vat. Fig. 5 is a plan view\ of the tumblerwith a portion thereof broken away. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the mixing tank for the water-proofing binder.

In the drawings there is shown a platform 10 having mounted thereon a furnace 11 pro vided with the usual stack 1 2l and opening 13 for receiving a charge of fueland mineral such as rock. Below the platform lthere is provided a blower -fan 14 for applying air for-supporting the combustion.- The compressed air or steampipe 15 is provided for discharging a blast of air vunder high pressure immediately below the discharge spout the port 17in the adjacent end of the blow chamber 1 8. The blow chamber is a relatively large' closed room having sloping Ahopper-like sides 19 at the lower `ortion thereof,- and below the port 17. Sai cham ber is preferably built on a steel frame formed of supporting metal lath provided withea coat of Portland cement mortar or metalso' asto r and conveyor belt. Fig. 3 is a sectionr the greater portion of the shot discharged give it a smooth glazed finishen the inside. This assists in preventing the wool from adhering to the sides. Thebottom of the ho per is open and a conveyor belt 20 is positioned below the same to receive the wool which is blown into the chamber. The conveyor belt is supported by and driven thru the medium of the end pulleys 21, one of which is driven thruthe driving shaft 22 operated by any suitable .source ofv power. Intermediate the pulleys: .the belt is supported by the longitudinally extending frames or tracks 23 so as not to sag below ythe bottom edge ofthe hopper. Suitable sealing flaps of resilient material 24, such as canvas, burlap or the like, hangs from each side of the hopper walls 19 so asto drag upon the belt and prevent the wool from escaping but at the same time preventing frictional contact between the side walls of the hopper and the belt.

The conveyor belt may be formed of woven wire cloth, perforated sheet metal or any other suitable material,-the belt shown herein being of sheet metal provided with a plurality of perforations 25. Such belt supports and carries the wool fibres but allows into the chamber to pass thru the` perforations while the wool is still in its light and fluffy state such as' to most readily permit separation of the shot.

The mineral wool is discharged from the end of the chamber 18 by the belt 20 into a trough 26'having a worm screw feed 27 which forces it into the tumbler 28.' Said tumbler is rectangular in cross-section and rotates with the shaft 29, which is driven from the shaft of the screw feed 27 by means of suitable gear connections with the drive shaft 22. The tumbler is covered with wire screening which permits any shot that may have b een carried thru to be tumbled out of the rock wool and passed thru the screening. At the same time the spiral blades '30 mounted upon the shaft 29, and which rotate with the tumbler, cause the tumbled libres to be worked toward the discharge end thereof. The wool fibres finally freed of shot are caused to drop from thetumbler into the mixing vat 31. This vat is maintained with sufficient water to cause the fibres to freely float and flow therein.`

In order to incorporate thewater-proong Y binding material, such as parain, bituminous materials, waxes or gums in the bres as heretofore explained, such material, in a liquid state, is placed into the mixing tank 32 together with suiiicient paper or similar pulp to cause the liquid water-proofing binder and pulp to'mix into a semi-plastic state. The mixing is accomplished by means of the stirring paddle 33 and the mixing paddles 34 and 35. The semi-plastic mass of liquid binder Aend of the vat.

The discharge end of the vat is enlarged to receive a bucket wheel 40, the buckets of which are screened or perforated to permit the water to pass therethru so as to drain the mixed wool and binder as it is elevated. The resultant mixture, freed of the greater part of the water, is discharged by the wheell 40A into the chute 41, where it flows downwardly into the forms 42. Said forms are provided with screened bottoms so that any further water freed from the ma as it settles in the forms will be caught in the drain pan 43.

The mineral wool fibre is then in condition wherein the binder and pulp` has been so mixed therewith as to thoroly impregnate or bind the bres. Furthermore, the greater part of the water has `been drained and the treated fibres settle in a` mass and are thereupon passed thru suitable drying ovens for removing the remaining water and moisture. The water-proofing binder and wool fibres are then firmly held together in a solid mass in the desired form ready for installation after the conventional trimming operations as insulating blocks or slabs of the type known to the trade as Rock Cork. By the incorporation of pulp with the water-proong binder before mixing with the fibres of the mineral wool, the water-proofing material is caused to become a part of the mass rather than be separated or brought to the surface thereof by the water.v

The invention claimed is:

1. The process of treating mineral wool,

consisting in first mixing a quantity of water-proofing material into a semi-plastic state with pulp, discharging same into a mixing vat containing a quantity of water and mineral. wool fibre, and thereafter agitating the contents of said vat and delivering'the material therefrom after a thoro mixing and with the greater portion of the water removed.

2. A process 0f treating mineral wool, comprising mixing in an excess of water substantially shot free mineral ber and fibrous pulp admixed with a water-proofing binding material, discharging the watery mixture into a drainage vessel, and thereafter drying the drained mixture.

my signature.

3. The rocess of manufacturing insulating matemal which comprises first forming an admixture of a pulp of cellulosic material and a bituminous substance, mixing the admixture with an aqueous suspension of mineral Wool, and thereafter forming blocks or slabs of insulating material from the mass of mineral Wool fibers, pulp, and bituminous material by separating the. water therefrom.

In witness whereof I have hereunto axed CHARLES C. HALL. 

